SMALL MERCIES - POST MATCH DISCUSSION

[Guest]

I say it's time to give up on a lot of the class of 2008-2010.
Trengove, Grimes, Tapscott, Blease, Strauss, Nicholson, Spencer and Watts will never be the players we want them or need them to be.
Keep experience that is worth keeping: Nate Jones, Bernie Vince, Daniel Cross (the question is for how much longer can we keep him?), Col Garland and see if we can get a few more in over the next little bit.
However, the rebuild of 2008-2010 is now officially a failure and hanging onto the back wash of that era (I wish I could find a nicer word) is going to set us back further. We need to accept this and start again. We are at GWS 2012/Brisbane Bears 1991/Sydney Swans 1993 levels here and we need to look at things as such.

However, we are further behind than we were in 2008 as we got rid of anyone who could protect the kids in those developing years. However, we need to grit our teeth, call a spade a spade and start this rebuild thing again. I understand why people are pizzed off but we need to be realistic about this.

Also, the club needs to remind itself there are 19 games to go in this season. We drop our heads now and write the season off, then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy i.e. we can't improve because we are crap and we are crap because we can't improve. There's a lot of footy left to be played.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Colin B. Flaubert

[P-man 13,366]

You know things are bad when you're not sure how many successive rebuilds we're up to now. 3? 4?

[Thehardtackler 785]

No it is a lot more about attitude than simply personnel. Some of our players need to grow a backbone. Send them to train with the Storm for a couple of weeks and they might learn some of the basics of AFL e.g. Tackling, chasing down, running straight, evading and being aggressive.

[Hero1 74]

CS was a poor CEO but the player group is terrible.

[Hero1 74]

The reason we have had so many years being down is because we well and truly fooked up the rebuild, 2010 we had the right blend and from there we decided to off load older players when the younger players weren't ready to carry us through. CS & CC created drama amongst the playing group and we have been found wanting in leadership. The way I see it we started the rebuild again last season and are 1 year into it.

I see us as being comparable with Richmond 2010 but we really have to get the rebuild right, I don't think we can afford any longer to draft the player who will be a gun in 3/4 years, we need to draft the ready now or trade early picks for 2 ready to go players because we need to be competitive and start showing improvement. I have actually given up on ever seeing us win a flag, I actually just want to see a season where we don't get belted regularly and go into 6-10 games with a chance of winning

Absolutely agree with you. Get some of those Greatest WAste of Space players back to Melbourne.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

I have no doubt we will finish last this year and if the AFL don't give us a PP and we don't recruit well, we will finish last year next year as well.

We have a list as bad as any that we have ever had, including in the 70's and it's hard to believe that the club has managed to stuff so many early selections and recruit so many pea hearts.

I watch these guys play with no spirit no genuine heart and in half the team's case, no talent. It must disgust the players like Vince and Cross who have come from clubs that think putting in every week is what you are supposed to do.

I am ashamed of the Melbourne Football Club.

[dees189227 12,401]

But I love coaching Melbourne, I love being in Melbourne, and have fond memories of Sydney." Well at least Roos like something.

I wonder how often he goes home to his family and says geez some of these players are not afl standard.

Another week of scrutiny.

[Hero1 74]

I say it's time to give up on a lot of the class of 2008-2010.

Trengove, Grimes, Tapscott, Blease, Strauss, Nicholson, Spencer and Watts will never be the players we want them or need them to be.

Keep experience that is worth keeping: Nate Jones, Bernie Vince, Daniel Cross (the question is for how much longer can we keep him?), Col Garland and see if we can get a few more in over the next little bit.

However, the rebuild of 2008-2010 is now officially a failure and hanging onto the back wash of that era (I wish I could find a nicer word) is going to set us back further. We need to accept this and start again. We are at GWS 2012/Brisbane Bears 1991/Sydney Swans 1993 levels here and we need to look at things as such.

However, we are further behind than we were in 2008 as we got rid of anyone who could protect the kids in those developing years. However, we need to grit our teeth, call a spade a spade and start this rebuild thing again. I understand why people are pizzed off but we need to be realistic about this.

Also, the club needs to remind itself there are 19 games to go in this season. We drop our heads now and write the season off, then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy i.e. we can't improve because we are crap and we are crap because we can't improve. There's a lot of footy left to be played.

more like fitzroy.

[Guest]

You know things are bad when you're not sure how many successive rebuilds we're up to now. 3? 4?

Hence why I understand why people are annoyed.

I will say though that while the men at the top have changed a lot, unfortunately, the main building blocks of those rebuilds have remained in place. A lot of them were burnt by bad management no doubt but whose fault it is (their own or the club's) is now irrelevant. We are now seven years into having an 'inexperienced team'. We need to look at a lot of the blokes drafted in that time and simply say it just hasn't worked. Trenners isn't the next Nathan Buckley. Grimes isn't a ten year captain. Watts is more likely to be the new Josh Fraser only he has played on weaker teams where his shortcomings are more likely to be exposed for all to see.The others I have mentioned shouldn't be viewed as first 22 selections.

Neeld talked of a rebuild of a rebuild. It only got labelled a rebuild because the results were so bloody atrocious. It was more like band aid recruiting that turned out very badly.

So far, most of the recruits we got in the off season (Vince, Cross, Tyson) have been our best players along with Nate Jones. There is a base to start building with. Forget the class of 2008 and 2010 and start again.

[chook fowler 19,551]

I'm not suggesting Spencer doesn't try but Mumford had 60 hitouts -2short of Dempseys record and not 1mark. On the clubs website he was touted as having a breakout year and ready to take over the no 1 ruck spot.

[Sir Why You Little 37,134]

Carlton are really awful tonight. Could be a ripper next week!!

[Moonshadow 17,677]

Spencil has definitely improved in his time at Melbourne. He kicks a lot better now, has a big frame and goes in for 2nd and 3rd efforts. He does need to take more marks around the ground, particularly contested.

Mummy is a physical beast, has a point to prove in swapping clubs and is playing very good footy ATM. He has Giles and other big guys to support him. Yes, they had a field day.

In an ideal world, Spencer would be playing as 2nd big man, but Jamar is an injured dud and Gawn is young, injury prone and similarly inexperienced. Should we trade for an proven, experienced ruck at the end of the season, as GWS did for Mummy, then Spencer would be worth developing further.

[Guest]

more like fitzroy.

The difference (and Fitzroy supporters have every right to be dark about this) is that the AFL couldn't wait to get rid of Fitzroy. As much as we crap on Demetriou, he has been one of our biggest supporters. Some will say then why did we get raked over the coals with tanking/ He probably didn't want the tanking stuff to come to the fore and was severely embarassed when it did. I think it permanently stuffed his relationship with Cameron Schwab. I got the feeling that after Don's phone call after round 2 last year that part of any rescue package was contingent on Schwab losing his brief immediately.

[P-man 13,366]

Carlton are really awful tonight. Could be a ripper next week!!

Blues will win convincingly.

[Pennant St Dee 13,305]

Carlton are really awful tonight. Could be a ripper next week!!

What is glaringly obvious in this game is how hard the Bombers players work, when they do not have the ball. Every time a players has the ball he has several options with team mates running into space, running to create holes/space and how hard they run after giving off the ball they don't just stop and admire their work

[Hero1 74]

The difference (and Fitzroy supporters have every right to be dark about this) is that the AFL couldn't wait to get rid of Fitzroy. As much as we crap on Demetriou, he has been one of our biggest supporters. Some will say then why did we get raked over the coals with tanking/ He probably didn't want the tanking stuff to come to the fore and was severely embarassed when it did. I think it permanently stuffed his relationship with Cameron Schwab. I got the feeling that after Don's phone call after round 2 last year that part of any rescue package was contingent on Schwab losing his brief immediately.

Agreed you make some good points.

[Sir Why You Little 37,134]

What is glaringly obvious in this game is how hard the Bombers players work, when they do not have the ball. Every time a players has the ball he has several options with team mates running into space, running to create holes/space and how hard they run after giving off the ball they don't just stop and admire their work

Most teams do that.

We don't and haven't for years

[Hero1 74]

Our team needs to be forced to watch the replays of this week's real games- hawthorn, Geelong and essendon are streets ahead.

[beelzebub 23,383]

I'm just about over the [censored] Spencer gets on this site. The guy is about 25, has overcome knee recos and I reckon played about 30 games. He is still on his L plates. Of course the big guns like Cox and Mummy will do him. But just watch him, he attacks the contest one out. He works hard, tackles and is aggressive. He doesn't throw in the towel. Just try getting smashed by those big blokes and having to front up contest after contest. FMD there are some armchair heroes on this site.

what with all this sudden reason and such ...you know footy talk BBO.. I miss the esoteric

[Wormburner 674]

Didn't watch, didn't listen, couldn't even bring myself to sneak a look at the scores as I knew what the result would be, but I couldn't face it - I had to get my wife to tell me when it got to 5:00.

This club has let us down far too often. I'm sick of supporting crap.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,249]

what with all this sudden reason and such ...you know footy talk BBO.. I miss the esoteric

Lordweaver has purified my soul.

[Return to Glory 8,448]

Didn't watch, didn't listen, couldn't even bring myself to sneak a look at the scores as I knew what the result would be, but I couldn't face it - I had to get my wife to tell me when it got to 5:00.

This club has let us down far too often. I'm sick of supporting crap.

Doesn't sound like you did support us today. So you're off to the perfect start.

[Hero1 74]

It's worse than crap. It's dog vomit.

[Return to Glory 8,448]

It's worse than crap. It's dog vomit.

That topic's an entire thread in itself

[chook fowler 19,551]

Not sure even having our key position players would make a difference if our runners can't hit a target. It was good to see Roos give Terlich a spray about his disposal - too often it goes unaddressed - at least in view of the fans